Month: May 2014

Categories
Arts

No surprises in the lazy plot of The Other Woman

Hell hath no fury like Leslie Mann, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Upton, who bond as jilted lovers in The Other Woman. Publicity photo

The Other Woman has approximately 1 million things working against it. First, we’re expected to believe Kate (Leslie Mann) is some sort of undesirable fuddy-duddy. Mann has played this role before, mostly in her husband Judd Apatow’s movies, but at least here she has a chance to use her goofy muscles instead of just reacting to Paul Rudd acting like a bonehead.

Secondly, there’s Cameron Diaz as Carly, an ice queen high-powered attorney. Diaz has certainly played her share of ice queens (In Her Shoes, Bad Teacher, The Counselor), and it’s not much of a stretch for her, but at least she does it well.

Thirdly, there’s Kate Upton as Amber, a beautiful innocent. She has so few lines of dialogue it’s hard to tell whether she’s a decent actor, but she beams at the right moments, makes frittatas, and has a few good lines—or what passes for good lines in a screenplay as lazy as The Other Woman’s.

Finally, the story operates under the pretense that a woman needs a man to make her happy, or to complete her in some way. That’s not an original idea (or a particularly good one). In 2014 you’d think we’d move beyond such limited gender bias.

But you can’t have everything, especially in a big budget Hollywood comedy. And somehow, miraculously, The Other Woman isn’t going to be the worst movie of the year. Some of it is actually quite funny.

In the movie’s first scene, we see Carly (Diaz) making out with hot guy Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who plays Jaime Lannister on “Game of Thrones”). Before long they’re spending many waking and sleeping moments together, and soon they’ve made plans for him to meet her father (Don Johnson, who plays the old lothario with ease).

What Carly doesn’t know—and what we all know because the title of this film is The Other Woman—is that Mark is married to Kate (Mann). After Mark cancels the father meeting to spend time with his wife, Carly is pissed off, but her assistant, Lydia (Nicki Minaj, who should be in every movie from now on) convinces her to pop in on Mark unannounced. When Carly arrives at Mark’s house, Kate answers the door. Carly is mortified, even falling into the bushes (ho ho!), and Kate is confused.

That sets the stage for what becomes a fairly typical revenge comedy. Carly and Kate conspire to make Mark pay for his infidelities, eventually roping in third other woman Amber, who’s eager to go along with them. They put a laxative in his drinks (eww—and yawn), find out he’s doing a bunch of illegal business (no surprise given this jerk’s track record and his propensity to have Kate sign legal documents without letting her read them), and give him estrogen (prompting a very weird racist joke in the middle of the movie).

Somehow it’s not a total wash. There’s something rather delightful in watching these women act like total idiots. And Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifinakis, and Ed Helms did that for three Hangover movies, so why not give Diaz, Mann, and Upton a shot?

I’d come down harder on The Other Woman if it were meant to be taken seriously, but the whole thing is so absurd, it’s impossible to take seriously. And who couldn’t use some silliness?

Playing this week

Amazing Spiderman 2
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

A Haunted House 2
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Bears
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Brick Mansions
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Divergent
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Dom Hemingway
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6

Draft Day
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Gladiator
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6

Heaven Is For Real
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

The Lunchbox
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6

Oculus
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

The Quiet Ones
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

The Railway Man
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6

Rio 2
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Transcendence
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX

Under the Skin
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6

Movie houses

Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
979-7669

Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
244-3213

Categories
Living

Healthy living: This week’s health/fitness news and events

File photo

Been eyeing those rowing machines at the gym, but don’t know how to get started? Check out Crossfit Charlottesville’s beginner/intermediate erg clinic on Saturday, May 3. The class, which will include core work and a mobility segment to protect the body from injury, is free for Crossfit Charlottesville members and $20 for non-members. E-mail info@crossfitcharlottesville.com for more information, and RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.

Can’t get enough downward dog? Starting on the evening of Saturday, May 3, The Society for Awakening Souls at UVA will host Virginia’s first-ever 24-hour yoga fest. The initial 12-hour session will begin at 7pm at the International Black Belt Center of Virginia, and session two will pick up at 7am at the UVA amphitheatre. Activities will include yoga, kirtan, drum circles, meditation, massage, and more.

What better way to spend a Saturday than running and drinking wine? Saturday, May 17, Trump Winery will host Mimi’s Run, a family-friendly 5K race that benefits cardiovascular research at UVA Medical Center. Registration is $20 through May 3, $25 May 4-16, and $30 on the day of. The run begins at 8:30am, and the Trump Winery tasting room will be open following the race.

C-VILLE’s Mind+Body takes a look at health and fitness news, with a bulletin board devoted to upcoming events related to all things healthy. Got an event or a tip you’d like to see here and in the paper? Write us at writer@c-ville.com. 

Categories
Living

UVA student introduces yoga to local PE classes

Fifth graders at Tandem Friends School learn basic poses in preparation for next year, when they’ll have regular yoga practices incorporated into PE classes. Staff photo

At 9am on Monday, when most of us were grumbling about returning to the office, a small group of fifth graders was spreading yoga mats out on a gym floor, taking deep breaths, and preparing for a short yoga session. UVA third year, athlete, and practicing yogi Bennett Reck led the kids through a 15-minute series of poses, and watched in amazement when half the group, eyes closed and deeply focused, popped into flawless crow positions.

The fifth grade class at Tandem Friends School is taking part in Reck’s capstone project, an initiative to incorporate yoga routines into local schools’ PE curriculums. Starting next fall, in addition to chasing whiffle balls across the field, sixth graders at Tandem will spend a portion of their gym classes barefoot, quieting their minds, and stretching their bodies in ways that soccer and lacrosse don’t allow.

“It was a lot harder than I expected,” said 11-year-old Nate Winter, who left the first session with Reck feeling relaxed but sore. “You’re stretching all these muscles that you didn’t even know existed.”

Winter said he generally enjoys PE, and even joined the basketball team this year, but as an aspiring engineer, he’d rather “tinker with things” than play organized team sports. Tandem Athletic Director Jackie Rose said the more athletic kids tend to “sometimes dominate the classes,” and the inclusion of yoga during class time might level the playing field for the non-athletes.

“For kids who are still fit but maybe not as interested in team sports, it may give them the chance to show their skills and enjoy PE class in a different way,” Rose said.

Reck will lead the first few classes in the fall to get the project off the ground, and as he gradually removes himself, he’ll work with Rose and PE teacher Al Sadtler to develop a handful of regular, adaptable routines for them to cycle through without him. They also plan to compile a database of poses, with notes on difficulty and popularity among students.

“I want to give them a toolbox that they can draw from at any age,” Reck said. “I’m hoping this will be a jumping off point for other schools, and they’ll see that you don’t need a yoga instructor for it.”

Tandem administrators chose to introduce the program to sixth graders because of their adaptability and eagerness to try new things, but for the other half of his project across town at St. Anne’s Belfield School, Reck will take a different approach. With the help of Bend Yoga owner Kelly Cox, he’s designing curriculum for the school’s kindergarteners. It’s a whole different ballgame from teaching middle schoolers, and they’ll start with exercises like blowing feathers across the room to practice deep breathing.

“We start yoga with very young children,” Cox said. “As soon as they can move and take in what others are doing, they are ready for yoga.”

Gathering hard, quantitative data will be difficult, Reck said, but he plans to follow up with teachers and coaches immediately after their yoga practice to gather information about students’ energy levels, ability to focus, and any improvements in organized sports.

“I’m not trying to turn every kid into a yogi,” Reck said. “That’s not my goal. I just want to give them the tools.”

Categories
Arts

May First Fridays Guide

Jane Angelhart's painting "Major Huja" can be seen at McGuffey Art Center this Friday. Photo courtesy of the artist

First Fridays is a monthly art event featuring exhibit openings at many Downtown art galleries and additional exhibition venues. Several spaces offer receptions. Listings are compiled in collaboration with Piedmont Council for the Arts. To list an exhibit, please send information two weeks before opening to arts@c-ville.com.

First Fridays: May 2, 2014.

Angelo 220 East Main St. “Landscape Sketches,” paintings by John A. Hancock. 5-7:30pm.

BON 100 W South St. Open house and art workshop. 5:30pm. $5.

BOUTIQUE Boutique & The Shoe Store Next Door 411 East Main St. “The Art of Private Devotion” and “The Roadside Art by R.A. Miller.” 5-7pm.

BozART Gallery 211 West Main St. “Great Things in Small Packages,” group exhibit by Matalie Deane, Julia Kindred and Virginia Ashby. 6-8pm.

The Bridge PAI 209 Monticello Rd. “Wood Ear,” photography and sound installation by Peter Traub. 5-8pm.

CitySpace 100 Fifth St. NE. “Artquest,” artwork from the Charlottesville City School students and artwork by Michelle Regine in the PCA office. 5:30-7pm.

C’Ville Arts 118 E. Main Street. “Playful Paper Creations” by Joanne Frazier. 6-8pm.

FIREFISH Gallery 108 Second St. NW. “Under the Big Top,” mixed media works by Kristin Rexter. 5:30-7:30pm.

The Garage 250 First St. N. “Gather Gatherer,” an exhibit of silkscreen plywood collage by Travis Robertson. 5-7:30pm.

McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. “Ghosts of Logic,” multi-layered mixed media works by Ed Dolinger in the Sarah B. Smith Gallery; “Local Color,” a collaborative art show celebrating Charlottesville’s full spectrum of characters by 18 local artists in the Lower Hall Galleries; Artwork from 9 regional High Schools in the Upper Hall Galleries. 5:30-7:30pm.

Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. “Wax Lines,” sculptures by Mary Early. 5:30-7:30pm.

Spring Street Boutique 107 W. Main St. “Abstract Impressionist Paintings,” featuring acrylic paintings by Karina Bell. 6-8pm.

Telegraph 110 4th St. NE. “Prince Tribute Show” with screenprint posters by Michael DeForge, Sam McKenzie, Natali Martinez, Ming Doyle, and Kali Ciesemier. 5-10pm.

Top Knot Studio 103 5th Street SE. “Form and Freedom, Order and Chaos,” works by Wolfgang Hermann. 5-10pm.

Vinegar Hill Cafe at Jefferson School City Center 233 Fourth Street NW. Photographs of Charlottesville’s linen building by June Collmer. 5:30-7pm.

Warm Springs Gallery 105 Third St. NE. “Rhythm and Motion” by Joseph Holston. 6-8pm.

WriterHouse “Scratching the Surface: The Art of Printmaking,” a group printmaking exhibition. 5:30-7:30pm.

WVTF and Radio IQ Studio Gallery 216 W. Water St. “A Take on Spring,” oil paintings by Isabelle Abbot. 5-7pm.

OTHER EXHIBITS

Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society 200 Second Street NE. “Strong Men and Women in Virginia History.”

“Creperie Gallery” at The Flat 111 Water St. E. Recent paintings by Randy Smith.

Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia 155 Rugby Rd. “Jasper Johns: Early Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation,” “Portraying the Golden Age: Drawings from the Maida and George Abrams Collection,” and “Joseph Cornell and Surrealism.”

Green House Coffee 1260 Crozet Ave, Crozet. “Talking Landscapes,” oil paintings by Julia Kindred.

Hot Cakes 1137 Emmet Street N.  “Vernal,” photographs of local native wildflowers by Bill Mauzy.

Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 4th St. “Art History Remix,” paintings by Earl Gordon. Opening reception May 11, 6pm.

Kiernan Gallery 1709 Old Forge Rd. Photographs by John Grant, presented in the artist’s garden and studio. Opening on May 3, 6pm.

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection 400 Worrell Dr. “having-been-there” by Nici Cumpston.

Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Road. “Still Life and Other Subjects,” paintings by Trisha Orr. Opening May 16, 5:30.

Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center 1400 Melbourne Rd. “Charlottesville High School Faculty Art Exhibit.”

Piedmont Virginia Community College V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr.  Student art exhibition.

Pigment 1229 Harris St. #13. “Summer Colors,” mixed media works by Sarah Boyts Yoder. Opening reception May 10, 4-6pm.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church 717 Rugby Rd. “Marriage, Love and Weddings” by Wendy Repass. Opening reception May 4, noon.

Categories
News

Split personality: Eric Cantor’s ongoing war with himself

Virginia Republican Eric Cantor is all but guaranteed reelection to his 7th District seat, but that’s not stopping him from running a fervent campaign. Photo: James Berlie/ZUMAPRESS.com

Odd Dominion is an unabashedly liberal, bi-monthly op-ed column covering Virginia politics.

As longtime readers may have noticed, we here at the Odd Dominion have a minor obsession with Virginia’s 7th District U.S. Representative Eric “Ol’ Chiseled Chin” Cantor. The current House majority leader (and only Jewish Republican now serving in Congress), Cantor is the sort of calculating, insincere, inscrutable Congress-critter that really drives us nuts. Over his long and successful career, Cantor has alternately presented himself as both a pragmatic moderate and a right-wing ideologue, swinging back and forth in the political winds like an over-greased, election-seeking weathervane.

Cantor’s latest bout of ideological whiplash comes as he gears up for his 2014 reelection campaign. Now, you would be hard-pressed to find a single pundit who believes that Cantor is in danger of losing either his primary or general election. His primary opponent, an economics professor named David Brat, has zero name recognition and no money in his campaign coffers, and the Democrats failed to field even a single 7th district candidate before the April 10 filing deadline.

And yet Cantor still flails around, trying to shore up his right flank as he pounds his hapless primary opponent with both an attack ad (which labels the very conservative Brat a “liberal college professor”) and an anti-Brat website.

Why the absurd campaign overkill? Hard to say, really, but it probably has something to do with the fact that Cantor has recently received a not-insignificant amount of flack from conservative websites for, among other things, hastily passing a $21 billion “doc fix” Medicare bill (which averted a 24 percent cut in payments to doctors and hospitals) by voice vote, and attending a Florida summit held by the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group which is working aggressively to squash Tea Party challengers to establishment GOP candidates.

In addition to the negative advertising, Cantor is also doing the other thing he does best: peacocking. Long suspected by many isolationist Republicans of being squishy on immigration reform, Cantor used the occasion of a “Happy Passover” telephone call from President Obama (in which they also discussed immigration) to burnish his right-wing bona fides. Having barely hung up the phone, Cantor quickly rushed out a statement bashing the president, and stating unequivocally that “House Republicans do not support Senate Democrats’ immigration bill and amnesty efforts, and it will not be considered in the House.”

The response from the White House? A puzzled shrug. Reached by Politico for comment, an Obama administration official said, simply, “it was a pleasant call.”

Will any of this help Cantor in his transparent quest to become House Speaker? Somehow we doubt it, but given the vicissitudes of congressional politics, anything could happen. One thing is certain, however: Eric Cantor will be back in the 114th United States Congress, trying every trick in the book to get a majority of his fellow Republicans to love him.